Black and amber Tiger

Tiger Woods was an early-morning visitor to Mount Juliet yesterday, availing of an opportunity to play the Kilkenny course for the first time ahead of September's American Express Championship.

The world number one played in the company of fellow Americans Mark O'Meara and Scott McCarron, teeing off a little after 7.0 a.m., having been officially welcomed to the course by host Tim Mahony. The three professionals used buggies to negotiate the terrain, completing their rounds in two and a half hours.

A crowd of about 80 to 100 followed the threeball and enjoyed a bit of banter with a relaxed and affable Woods. Conditions were generally idyllic for golf and the players said they were impressed by the venue, Woods describing it as "a beautiful place". He was an estimated four under for his round.

Woods left Kilkenny soon after the round, heading for Waterville in Kerry, where he is expected to play a round today.

It is also anticipated that he will take some time off ahead of next week's British Open at Muirfield in Scotland to indulge his passion for fishing. The Ridge Pool on the river Moy is a suggested destination.

The next time Woods comes back to Ireland is likely to be for the American Express Championship, although he did not confirm yesterday that he would definitely compete.

In the run-up to the British Open an investigation has begun into whether dozens of Nigerians fraudulently obtained visas by posing as golfers with invitations to next week's event.

Organisers sent invitations to 47 Nigerians to enter qualifying tournaments, but only four showed up. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club was surprised, because in previous years the number of Nigerians seeking to compete in the open was "in the single figures", a spokesman said.